1. The Big East was the clear loser in conference expansion—can it recover? It started with losing Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College to the ACC in 2004 and ’05 and continued when Syracuse, Pitt and West Virginia announced their intentions to bolt. To add insult to injury, the league lost a new member, TCU, to the Big 12 before it had played a game in the conference.

2. Temple returns. After a seven-year absence, the majority of which was spent in the Mid-American Conference, the Owls are back. The program looks nothing like it did when it was expelled from the league in 2004; former coach Al Golden choreographed one of the more amazing turnarounds in college football history. But Temple is facing a big jump up in competition and Golden is gone.

New Pitt coach Paul Chryst is known as a sharp offensive mind, so we'll see what impact he has on the Panthers' offense. (AP Photo)

3. For everyone else, the schedules get easier. The league’s best teams will benefit by replacing West Virginia on the schedule with Temple.

4. There’s a hot seat in Syracuse. It’s getting warm in coach Doug Marrone’s chair as he enters his fourth season with a 17-20 mark. After an 8-5 campaign in 2010, the Orange regressed last year, finishing 5-7 and 1-6 in the Big East. With Syracuse headed to the ACC next year, Marrone must show that he’s the man to lead that transition.

5. Can the league continue its bowl success? In the BCS era, the Big East has the best overall bowl record of any FBS conference, going 43-27. It’s the only league to have every member reach a bowl over the last two years. Can it keep up the postseason success with two lame ducks and a weaker cast of characters?

6. It’s a transition year. It’s the last year in the Big East for Syracuse and Pitt and the season before Boise State, UCF, Houston, Memphis, San Diego State and SMU will be joining.

7. What will the rookie of the year do in Year 2? Last season, Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater took over the starting job in the Cardinals’ fourth game. He went on to throw for 2,129 yards and 14 touchdowns. Bridgewater is accurate with his arm and dangerous with his legs—and he’s the only Big East returnee who can put a team on his back and carry it.

8. Has Pitt finally found its coach? On its fourth head coach in two years, the Panthers are looking for stability under Paul Chryst. It’s getting harder and harder to remember that this program was a perennial national title contender in the 1970s and early ’80s.

9. There’s a new QB in the Queen City. There’s no doubt about Cincinnati junior Munchie Legaux’s ability—he has an NFL body, arm and athleticism—but can he provide the leadership and consistency Zach Collaros did in three years as the starter? If Legaux doesn’t take the reins early, coach Butch Jones won’t hesitate to turn to two strong spring performers: fifth-year senior Brendon Kay and redshirt freshman Patrick Coyne.

10. Which version of South Florida will we see? After getting off to a 4-0 start, the Bulls inexplicably lost six of their last seven to finish 5-7, but their quarterback, B.J. Daniels, made a big improvement in his junior season. What will he do as a senior?